Movable terminal for voltage-regulators.



P. DARLINGTON. MOVABLE TERMINAL FOR VOLTAGE REGULATORS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. a, 1906.

920,926. I I *PatentdMayll, 1909 WITNESSES: INVENTQR FREDERICK DARLINGTON, O1 PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING (OI\IPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENl\':SYLVANIA.

Iw'IOVAP LE TERI-K11 11155. FOB VOLTAGE-REGULATORS).

its. 20,026.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, Fnnnnnrcu DamneroX, citizen of the United States, and. a resincwand useful improvement in Movable 'lermihals tor Voltagedlegulators, of which the folloviingis a specification.

each other under heavy pressure.

My invention relates to voltage regulators and particularly to regulators of the class in unich voltage variations are eilected by varying the active lengths of transformer windings.

The object of my invention is to provide. a novel and improved structure for the movable contact members of such regulators whereby voltage variation may be efi'ected by large in circuits that are traversed amounts of current without injury to the engaging parts by either burning or abrasion.

in the Construction and use of all forms of switches, it has been found that the. amount of current which may be effectively conducted between the stationary and movable contact members, may be increased materially causing the members toengage i It has also been found desirable to cause the engaging members to rub or slide upon each other in ordertomaintain clean surfaces of contact, but if heavy pressure is exerted upon the parts the surfaces yvill wear very rapidly and thus render such an arrangement inipracticable. I accordingly propose to provide the movable terminal with a plurality of cylindrical contact members of-diiierent diameters and to mount them resiliently upon a shaftso that all must rotate together. When so constructed, both rolling and sliding engagement between-the movable and stationary Contact members may be effected and a movable terminal. is provided which has a very high current carrying capacity and but little friction and insures clean surfaces of contact.

Figure 1 oi the accompanying drawing is a view, in side elevation of a voltage regulator that embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a clan view of the movable contact member bf the voltage regulator shown in Fig. l and Fig. 3 is a View, in side elevation, of a portion of the movable contact member of the regulator.

have found it convenient to apply my invention to a voltage regulator that torms .1 or ruetters Patent.

"led 1 1212011 3, 1966.

Serial No. 304,665.

the subject-matter of another application, Serial No. 304,064, filed by me of even date .5 herewith, such a regulator comprising a: dent of Plttsburg, 1n the county of A le heny and State of Pennsylvania, have nivented a l 5 s ective v:indin 's"are X'OSed alternatel r and rolling engager density at the engagii as contact surfaces with which a movable terminal member 4-, that may be connected to any device to which it is desired to supply variable voltages, is adapted to engage, "ljhe corresponding pairs of terminals of the windings 2 and 3 are connected by meansot re sistances 5 and 6, connections from an exte nal circuit (not shown) being made to the middle points 7 and 8, or to other points iutermediate the terminals thereof. The terminal member 4 comprises a frame 9 and plurality of contact rings or Wheels 10, ll, 12 and 13 that differ slightl' in diameter and are resiliently mounted and secured by any suitable means, such as springs 1 and screws 14 or other fastening devices, upon a shaft or spindle 15, the. in the frame 9, all oi the rings being in this manner compelled to rotate at the speed. The movable terminal may be operated by means of a screw-threaded shaft 16 that may be rotated by any suitable motor, and it should either be of great weightitself oruressure should. be applied to it in some convenient manner. I

It will be readily understood that, because of the resilient mountings, all of the contact rings lOto 13 inclus' will gs the e posed faces of the windings 2 an; 3, and because they difler in di 1 h sliding uiqwhcn the the terminal m'emb thus con structed and arranged, the 'ng surfaces of the stationary and movable members will be kept fresh and clean the current ices may be verv mensions oi the member is moved ov When high and the mechanical movable terminal member may be correspondingly small. T 'ction incperation is also very small because of the comparatively small amount of sliding between the parts. i

the movable terminal connects first to one winding, next to both of them and then to the other, the cycle being repeated as many t has bearings T In the operation of the voltage regulator g; V y 920,926

times as may be necessary to effect the delsired'regulation. -When the movable mem- E ber connects to both windings, local circuits are cstablishedthrongh the windings but the voltages of such circuits .will be small. The amounts of current in the local circuits will also be limited since the whole of the resistg with other forms of voltage regulatorsand in operation of the invention. or departing from may have relative movement toward and;

connection with other devices. The number of contact members may obviously be varied from what has here been shown and described and the structural detailsand arrangements of parts may also ,bevaried con siderably without modifying the mode of its-spirit.

1 claim as my invention: r

1. The combination with one or more stationary contact terminals, of a'cooperating movable circuit terminal comprising a'plu- 5 rality of sideby-side contact members that away from the stationary (contact terminal l or terminals but only conjoint rotative movement.

2,. The combination with one'or more StBfi tionary contact terminals, of a cooperating movable circuit terminal comprising a plurality of side-by-sicle rotatably moun ted contact members of the same form but of different diameters.

3. The combination with one or more Star tionary contact terminals, of a cooperating movable circuit terminal comprising a plurality of side-by-side resiliently and rotatably mounted contact members of the same 7 form but of different diameters.

-'L. The combinationwith one or more stationary contact terminals, of a cooperating movable circuit terminal comprislng aplurallty of contact rings of different diameters iresiliently mounted upon a shaft to rotate at the same speed.

A contact terminal comprising a plurahty. of rings or wheels of difl'erent diamcters and a shaft upon which said rings or Wheels are yieldingly but non-rotatively mounted; v w

6. A contact member for electrical apparatus comprising a lurality of rings or wheels of different diameters, a rotatable shaft and spring connections .between' the y I IlDgS or wheelsand the shaft-which )ermit' relative lateral movement but preelu e relative rotary movement. y I 4 In testimony whereof, I have hereunto snbscribed my name this 21st day of Feb' ruary,190.-' I FREDERICK nAnLrNeToN Y Witnesses: 3 Y

OTTO S. Son-Alana, B'IRNEY HINES. 

